SPRINGFIELD – Nearly every member of the Illinois House agreed that their salary should not increase next year in a vote taken Wednesday in Springfield.
The legislation (HB 643) prohibits lawmakers from receiving a cost of living adjustment pay increase for next fiscal year.
Representative McSweeney, one of the bill's two hyphenated sponsors, has been consistently opposed COLAS for General Assembly members.
“It sends a terrible message to give legislators a pay raise when the State cannot pay its bills right now,” McSweeney said. “Our focus right now needs to be getting a budget passed without raising taxes. We need to fix the State’s financial mess – not hand out pay raises to legislators.”
In addition, State Rep. David McSweeney signed a letter written to Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza supporting the “No Budget, No Pay” policy of making legislators wait in line to get paid. He also filed HB 343, which would prohibit General Assembly members from getting paid until a budget is passed.
“Every day that goes by without a budget, we are driving our state deeper and deeper into debt,” McSweeney said. “Our focus should be on getting a budget without a tax increase. Members should not get paid until we pass a balanced budget."
House Bill 643 passed the House with 98 votes and now moves to the Illinois Senate for further consideration. The House members that signed onto the bill include Rep. Katie Stuart – David McSweeney, Michelle Mussman, Michael Halpin, Natalie A. Manley, Jerry Costello, II, Deb Conroy, Martin J. Moylan, Brandon W. Phelps, Litesa E. Wallace, Sue Scherer, Daniel V. Beiser, Anthony DeLuca, Daniel Swanson, Sheri Jesiel, Tony McCombie, Lindsay Parkhurst, Steven Reick, Jerry Lee Long, Allen Skillicorn, Mark Batinick, Ryan Spain, David S. Olsen, Avery Bourne, Michael P. McAuliffe, Terri Bryant, Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, Nick Sauer, Brian W. Stewart, Silvana Tabares, Grant Wehrli, Tim Butler and Brad Halbrook.
